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Sometimes a pencil or a pen can make all the difference

Operation Christmas Child ramping up its local effort

By Kelly Brooks

kbrooks@ruidosonews.com

Posted:
09/05/2013 04:38:29 PM MDT

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With the 2013/2014 school year well underway and school supplies 30 to 40 percent off at local retailers, some Ruidoso kids and parents are looking beyond their own needs and considering the difference a pencil or pen would make in the lives of needy children overseas.

Operation Christmas Child, a project sponsored by the Samaritan's Purse, delivers shoe boxes filled with toys, school supplies, hygiene items and notes of encouragement for children in poverty across the globe.

"For many poverty-stricken children, often a lack of basic supplies is what stands between them and attending school," said Operation Christmas Child volunteer Teresa McKee. "And these boxes are more than just a gift. They're an expression of love."

Operation Christmas Child, the world's largest Christmas project of its kind, has collected and delivered more than 100 million gift-filled shoe boxes to children in more than 100 countries since the project began in 1983. This year, the organization will celebrate its 20th anniversary and expects to collect another 9.8 million shoeboxes nationwide.

McKee, who coordinates the southeastern New Mexico collections out of Roswell, said that last year more than 5,000 boxes were delivered from the region with more than 500 of those boxes coming from the Lincoln County area.

Stephanie Jensen, Lincoln County organizer and drop-off coordinator, has been organizing the project locally since 2002.

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"Those who participate get the joy of knowing that so many of these people have never experienced a gift," she said. "For many, this will be the first gift they've ever received. It can be life changing to those who receive it."

Jensen said that last year 15 local churches participated as well as schools, families, youth groups, boy scouts and girl scouts.

"It's a great project for any kind of group," Jensen said.

The way it works is individuals, families and groups fill empty shoeboxes with gifts of toys, school supplies, hygiene items and notes of encouragement. During national collection week, Nov. 18 to 25, Samaritan's Purse will collect the gift-filled shoeboxes. After the boxes are prepared for overseas shipment at one of eight major processing centers across the U.S., the boxes are delivered to children in more than 100 countries on six continents.

"You just take a regular sized shoebox -- typically like a women's size seven -- and fill it with things like pens, pencils, sunglasses, washcloths, yo yo's, hard candy, flip flops, pencil sharpeners -- things like that. We just ask that you don't put any liquid, chocolate or things that can melt or spill or war toys. There's a complete list of items we can't have on the website and suggested items," McKee said. The box can be created for a boy or a girl with three different age categories to choose from.

"A lot of people will purchase see-through shoe boxes from the discount stores because to these kids the box itself is a gift. They will use it to store things or haul water in," she said.

One thing that McKee said they ask is that the box itself not be wrapped.

"You can line them with tissue paper or a bandana to make them more colorful but do not wrap or seal up the box because it will go to a distribution center and be gone through," McKee said. "We want to reiterate not to wrap the box completely. There is a suggested $7 donation to cover cost of shipping. Folks can write the check out to Samaritan's Purse, Operation Christmas Child and just put it inside the box."

The local collection site is the First Baptist Church, 270 Country Club Drive. During the week of Nov. 18 to 25, shoeboxes can be delivered to the church between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

"If anyone needs boxes or labels or promotional material, we've got it for them," Jensen said. "And your box can be tracked through the website. About two months after we collect them you can punch in the UPC number from your label and it will tell you where your box is. Kids love it."

For more information on the project or for supplies contact Stephanie Jensen at 575-937-0430 or go to samaritanspurse.org and follow the tab to Operation Christmas Child.

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